St. Columba's Episcopal Church

Washington, DC|202-363-4119

Worship at St. C’s

Worship is at the heart of our life at St. Columba’s. Learn more about our worship services and our Episcopalian tradition. Feast on the inspiring words of our preachers, and explore what family worship looks like at St. Columba’s.

Make Some Music

St. Columba’s is a community filled with enthusiastic music makers and music lovers. Our ensembles include volunteer choirs from ages 5 through adult, as well as an orchestra and handbell choirs. Come make some joyful noise with us.

Connect With Your Community

No matter where you are on your journey of faith, you are welcome at St. Columba’s. We invite you to explore all the information you need to visit, connect with and perhaps join in on our abundant parish life here.

Come Learn & Grow

With St. Columba as our inspiration, we are curious by nature and ready to explore, seeking out new spiritual knowledge. St. Columba’s offers all ages the opportunity to learn and grow from wide range of educational experiences.

Pastoral Care

Pastoral care is the very soul of this Christian community. For each of us, there are times in life when we need loving support from others, and times when we can offer it to others. Find here, your opportunities for both.

Sacraments

Holy Baptism

Baptism marks our adoption into the Body of Christ. We celebrate Baptism during the Sunday Eucharist in the Church Nave or Great Hall. Baptism for children is offered several times throughout the year. Adults are most often baptized at the Great Vigil of Easter (the evening before Easter). Click here for the Baptism schedule.

If you are interested in baptism for yourself or your child, the first step is to complete an application.

Funerals and Memorial Services

The occasion of a funeral or memorial service provides an opportunity for friends and family to gather and give thanks for a life and commend their loved one to the eternal love of God. One of the most moving services of the church is the Burial of the Dead (found in The Book of Common Prayer, p. 491–505). At a funeral service, the body or cremated remains are present; a memorial service is one where the remains are not present.

Depending upon the family’s wishes and room availability, receptions following a funeral or memorial service may take place in the Common or Great Hall.

Clergy are always ready to offer prayers for someone who has died and walk with you through the profound mystery of grief and loss.

To reach a member of the clergy concerning a death, call the parish office at 202-363-4119. If it is after office hours, you will be prompted on how to reach a clergy member.

Weddings

In Christian marriage, partners enter into a life-long union, make their vows before God and their Christian community, and receive the grace and blessing of God to help them fulfill their vows. At St. Columba’s, we take marriage seriously and understand that loving and committed relationships are a gift from God. We welcome and celebrate the weddings of same-sex and opposite-sex partners.

If you are interested in being married at St. Columba’s, the first step is to begin preparation with a member of the clergy, to whom a couple should speak directly. Click here for the clergy directory.

Confirmation and Reception

Confirmation is offered for adults (16 and older) who were baptized as infants to make a mature declaration of faith before the Bishop of the Diocese. For adults who were confirmed in another church, reception into the Episcopal Church is marked liturgically by making a declaration before the Bishop. In both cases, St. Columba’s offers an annual preparation class. High school students around age 16 are prepared as part of their ongoing Sunday School class (with confirmation in the spring of odd-numbered years); older adults have a special class offering. Confirmation and reception may take place at St. Columba’s during a Bishop’s visitation, or at the Cathedral.

To learn more about Confirmation or Reception for high school aged youth and adults, please contact the Rev. Amy Molina-Moore.

What Makes our Worship Episcopalian?

“Common Prayer” is the ideal Thomas Cranmer strove for as he tried to unite the people of England following the break with the Roman Catholic church in the 16th century: common in the sense of ordinary, everyday prayer; but also prayer that all the people had in common. The Church of England hoped to be a place where people with different ideas and opinions could find common ground. The Episcopal Church was born out of this Anglican heritage, and we share the same commitment to welcoming a wide variety of seekers into our communities. The form of our worship follows an updated version of Cranmer’s Book of Common Prayer, and shares the same liturgical and sacramental practices from the early church that you find today in Eastern Orthodox, Roman Catholic, and Lutheran churches.